Feelings Only Go So Deep
by BlackShadowedRoses
Summary: Sequel to The Story of Legends. It's been 3 years, but Widdershin still maintains his feelings for Amez, as does Dylan, who starts to show more than just obvious affection towards her. Meanwhile, a plague of nightmares begins to take over Sinnoh...
1. Love is Bad?

**A/N: Heya! I'm back, with the sequel to 'The Story of Legends'. If you haven't read that first, I suggest you do, cos this story carries on from where it left off. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I am getting back in tune with Amez, Dylan and Widdershin! **

**Rose **

Feelings Only Go So Deep

Chapter 1- Love is Bad?

Widdershin sighed heavily from his perch on Amez's windowsill. He touched the glass, staring at the figure of a girl below him on the other side. It had been 3 years since the events concerning Cyrus had taken place, and in those 3 years Widdershin watched as his best friend slowly matured from a just-turned adolescent to a beautiful young woman of nearly 16. It was her birthday next week, which she would then 'become of age', meaning she would then be classified as an adult. He himself hadn't changed much, Pokemon didn't age the same way as humans. He was still the same small, orange fire monkey.

Widdershin watched her as she sat on the bench outside their house, throwing bread crumbs to the Finneon that lived in the small pond in their garden. Personality wise, she hadn't changed much at all. She still loved to read, although not really on the Legendary Pokemon as she had before, considering she was friends with them all. Now she was more interested in the well-being of Pokemon in general, she wanted to study to become a Scientist or Professor, someone who helps Pokemon. She had grown a couple of feet, and had gained a few curves, yet still maintained that natural slender physique she had had as a girl. Her skin was still pale, the colour of the first snowflake that falls during winter; beautiful and unique. Her face had lost it's baby chubbiness, and her cheekbones had become much more pronounced. Her lips, which used to be a soft pink, had also fazed to a soft red over the years. Her hair, much to dark to just be considered plain brown but not dark enough for black, had also grown out so it now fell just above her waist. However it had been cut into layers, that framed her face like a border frames a picture, bringing out it's features. She still had the same side fringe that habitatually fell into her eyes.

Her eyes. Whenever Widdershin looked into them, he couldn't tear himself away. Those striking green eyes that seemed to hold the mysteries of kept secrets. He had thought she was amazingly pretty before, but now she was absolutely stunning. And he wasn't the only one who thought so either. He fumed as he noticed a dark figure wearing a hood approach the girl, and sit down next to her. He knew who that person was even before he took the hood off: Dylan, a.k.a Giratina, the Legendary Pokemon, The Deity of Death. Or just the Controller of Chaos now. Arceus, the God of Pokemon, had restored his old duties back to him after he helped save the world from Cyrus, and a little convincing from Amez on his behalf.

No-one else knew that Giratina masqueraded as a human except Amez, her mother Johanna, Professor Rowan and himself. A couple of Amez's old childhood bullies, Cole and Elsa, had witnessed Dylan sprout his black Giratina wings and carry an unconscious Amez off into the sky, but thanks to the Lake Trio, Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit, those dangerous memories were soon erased from their minds, in order to protect Dylan's secret.

Dylan's appearance had changed, to make sure his human façade was still believable. His strange black hair with the odd blonde highlights remained pretty much the same, as did his white skin, pasty and sallow compared to Amez's fair skin. However he also shot up in height, so now he was about half a head taller than Amez. His face had also lost the look of a 13 year old boy and had slimmed down, whereas his muscles had become much more well-defined. However, his eyes never changed, they still stayed the same blood red, the complete opposite to Amez's soft green.

Widdershin growled furiously as that monster lent over and placed his arm over Amez's shoulders, expecting her to cuddle up to him. He let out a sigh of relief as she stayed sitting as she was, she didn't snuggle up to him, but she didn't take his arm off either. A look of annoyance flashed over Dylan's face, but he made sure Amez didn't see. Those red pools of blood darted up to the window as Widdershin ducked out of sight, but it was too late, he knew Dylan had seen him.

He sighed again as he jumped easily from the windowsill and lent against the wall, his heart hammering in his chest. So many emotions rushed through his heart and mind: anger, how dare that fiend touch his Amez? Worry, is Amez ok, what if he tries to do something more than just try and opt for hugs? Jealousy, that should be ME!

Wait, _jealousy_? Widdershin slapped his forehead and groaned, as his heart stopped hammering and slowed down to a gentle beat. He couldn't deny it anymore: he was in love with Amez.

He had sort of known he was since the first time he laid eyes on her when she was asleep by the side of Lake Verity, out in the cold and he had tried to warm her. But it was wrong! He was a Pokemon, and she was human. Pokemon were slaves to the human race, even though Amez would never consider him her slave. He was her friend, her shoulder, her partner in crime. He was there whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to laugh with, a companion to confined in. But there was one thing he wasn't, and that he desperately wanted to be: her lover.

Whenever any thoughts like that crossed his mind, a little voice would scream at him what he already knew so clearly. It would never work; it wasn't supposed to happen like this. But he loved her… love was what was supposed to make the world a better place, wasn't it? It's what stopped wars and fighting. Love couldn't be _bad_, could it?

However, he also knew that if he couldn't have Amez, Dylan couldn't either. Because even though Dylan appeared very human, he was far from it. Dylan could change his form, but he would always be Giratina. He was born a Pokemon, that could never be changed. Widdershin began to feel guilty. He and Dylan were secretly both fighting for Amez's affections, yet at the same time treating her like some trophy then a person.

He jumped up again, and this time peeped over the windowsill, and it took everything in his willpower to stop himself from exploding with rage! Even Azelf would be impressed he was able to handle himself. Dylan had somehow succeeded in getting Amez closer to him; her head lay on his shoulder, under his chin, and he had both arms around her. His hands were gently yet roughly stroking her arm. He couldn't see her face as she was turned away from his direction, so he couldn't see her reaction to his invasion of her personal space. However he could from her posture she wasn't comfortable being in that position and Dylan was trying to get her to relax. The look in his red eyes showed that of frustration hidden under a obvious display of affection, and that's when Widdershin realised.

It was the Summer holidays, which meant no school, for students, Trainers, everyone. He remembered from his time in Professor Rowan's lab that Summer was when the Pokemon Breeders often got together, as it was the Pokemon's mating season.

Mating Season! That sick wretch! Widdershin wondered why he hadn't noticed it before! Even though Giratina was in his human body, he would still have the same desires as all Pokemon would during this time of year. He was courting Amez, the first step in Pokemon mating. That sick bastard! Widdershin was definitely not one to curse, but there was honestly no other word to describe that monster! He had to do something, and fast, to protect Amez. If Giratina got angry at being turned down, he could be very dangerous!


	2. Dinner and a Show

Chapter 2 – Dinner and a Show

Widdershin scampered down the stairs, taking 2 at a time. He nearly collided with Glameow, Johanna's pet feline, who hissed at him, her blue fur puffing up. Normally Widdershin would've found this rather funny, but he could tell by the look of obvious dislike and the huff of her tail that Dylan was nearby. Glameow really hated Dylan; whenever he was around she would always evacuate the room, or sit in Amez's lap and hiss whenever he came near her. Glameow was a Pokemon, just like him and Dylan, and although, like most regular Pokemon, she couldn't speak, she had the same improved senses, so she knew who Dylan was straightaway. However being a Normal-type and with Dylan being a part Ghost-type, the feeling was mutual, as if they got into a fight/battle both their types don't affect the other.

'Glam-ee-owww' she muttered at him, which was her way of warning him that his accusations were correct; he could hear the sound of a door opening and 2 recognisable voices.

He nodded, and bounded into the living room, taking a seat on top of the sofa. Amez entered, kicking off her trainers, followed by Dylan, who did the same. She smiled warmly at him, and came over to scratch his head. Dylan glared at him, with a look that seemed to read 'I know'. Widdershin returned the gesture.

'We're having pork ramen!' Johanna said happily, turning from her spot by the oven where she had been turning a big pot of noodles. 'Dylan, would you like to stay for dinner?' she asked.

'Johanna, have I ever passed up on a free meal?' Dylan replied, trying to be humorous.

Johanna beamed, and motioned them to sit down, as she spooned the ramen into bowls and added the soy sauce and chopped pork. Amez sat down on the right side of their 2 by 1 seating dinning table. She patted the chair next to her for Widdershin to sit there, which he did so, before Dylan had a chance to 'accidentally knock him off…by accident' as usual. Dylan frowned, and gruffly sat across from Amez and began fiddling with his chopsticks.

Amez paid no attention to the boy across from her, and sat patiently as her mother hastily prepared their meal. A moment later she joined them, taking the seat next to Dylan. Widdershin watched Johanna and Dylan hungrily dig in, whereas Amez just stared at her food. Widdershin picked up his chopsticks (having opposable thumbs rocked!) and began to eat, in a gentlemanly manner as oppose to scarfing it down like the boy across the table. Occasionally Amez would lift something to her lips, just to keep her mother from asking questions on her apparent lack of appetite. A few minutes later both Johanna and Dylan were finished, and got up to turn on the TV to watch the evening news, Johanna telling Amez it was her turn to do the dishes.

'Hello, and welcome to Sinnoh Now! Your Guide to what's hip and happening around Sinnoh! I'm Rhonda…'

As the sounds of the TV filled the silence, Johanna sat down comfortably on the family sofa, while Dylan settled into the nearby armchair, both paying rapid attention to the brunette on the screen. Dylan was the Controller of Chaos, and liked to watch the news to check up on everything, but if there was a big problem he would know by instinct or be contacted by either one of the Lake Trio or Dialga and Palkia, his fellow Trio members.

Widdershin took this opportunity to speak to Amez. 'Hey, what's up?' he questioned, concerned.

'Nothing, just not hungry. Are you done?' she asked, standing up and collecting the bowls, letting her fringe cover her eyes.

Widdershin watched her as the dumped the bowls and cutlery and dumped them in the sink while the water ran. Something was definitely wrong. Well, knowing what time of year it was, anyone would feel uncomfortable with someone violating their personal place! He couldn't help but growl under his breath at the monster sitting in the armchair, who just sat there innocently watching the TV.

'Our latest headlines report that a small island off the coast of Canalave City has been severely damaged. We are not sure if this has been done by human or Pokemon, but scientists are out to investigate the area. That concludes this evening's news report. I'm Rhonda, and this is Sinnoh Now!'

As the news end jingle played, Johanna switched it off and got up, stretching.

'Well, time for me to hit the hay, I think' she yawned.

'Same here, I'd better be off' Dylan stated, standing and heading for the door.

'Nice to see you again, Dylan' she nodded pleasantly to him. 'Don't stay up to late, Amez' she told her, before making her way up to the stairs, passing Glameow, who was coming back down.

As soon as Johanna was out of earshot, Glameow hissed at Dylan, and hopped gracefully on top of the sofa, her fangs barred, growling. Widdershin was still sitting at on the tabletop, frowning as Dylan just stood there, staring at Amez. Feeling his eyes on her back, she finally turned around and walked towards him, head down.

'See you round' she said, opening the door for him.

'Is that a way to say good-bye?' he laughed, as he took a step past her.

As she was about to shut the door, he suddenly turned around, his face just inches from hers. Widdershin just stared, wide-eyed in shock, he was going to kiss her! It only took Amez a second to realise what he was doing, and quickly turned her head so his lips landed on her check.

Dylan just laughed again, watching her closed expression, and turned and closed the door behind him, taking the handle from the loose grasp, but not before Widdershin had seen the look of fury in his red eyes.

Glameow shrieked, and dived off the sofa and onto the kitchen table, and then onto Amez's shoulder, and began to lick her face where Dylan had kissed her. Amez remained rigid still, her eyes emotionless.

Widdershin still couldn't believe it. The nerve of him; while he had been right there in direct view of it! Dylan was definitely getting series about the mating. As this thought came back into his head, every type of emotion ran through him, just like earlier that day. He growled, jumped off the table, and walked straight to the door. Amez opened it for him, and he couldn't help but smile at her, however she remained in the same position, as if frozen, Glameow still 'cleaning' her, getting rid of any traces of Dylan, to which Widdershin was grateful.

Outside, there was no trace of him either. His best guess was he had sprouted his wings and went back to Turnback Cave. Fine with him, the further away, the better. Widdershin needed help desperately, it was fairly obvious Amez didn't return Dylan's affections, to which Widdershin knew secretly was what held his poor heart together, but when he came around to admitting it to Dylan's face, the consequences would be deadly. He needed someone who he knew would believe him and take his side, so that rolled out Johanna and Professor Rowan, humans wouldn't understand. He couldn't tell the other Dragons, they would obviously take their 'brother's' side, and congratulate him on a good catch. He needed someone to whom Amez could trust as well, she must know something strange was up with Dylan and his behaviour by now, but only Pokemon knew the real reason behind it. That's when it hit him, he knew the perfect person!

The little Chimchar stood on the rock face that looked out across Lake Verity, searching for the island that lay in the centre, but the sun was setting over the horizon, blocking his vision. He turned away from the light, to come face to face with who his was looking for. The magenta pink fairy with the golden eyes greeted him with giggle.

'Hi, Widdershin!' Mesprit said cheerily, floating in front of him at eye level.

'Hey, Mesprit' he replied, a bit dully.

The smile faded on Mesprit's face, and she stayed silent, feeling the air, testing his emotions. Widdershin too said nothing; he couldn't hide anything from Mesprit, and he thought it was best she used her own powers to discover the problem. However, Mesprit could only sense his emotions, not the reason behind them. Widdershin was glad Uxie wasn't around; he didn't need that brain giving him grief about his big mess.

'I see' she spoke after a while 'Anger, jealousy, concern and… love?' she gave a small smile at the last word.

Widdershin sighed, and sat down, leaning his back against the rock face. Mesprit hovered next to him, and placed her small, feather light hand on his shoulder.

'You love her, don't you?' she whispered softly.

Widdershin bought his knees to his chest, and wrapped his arms around himself, laying his head on them as he sighed again.

'Yes' he answered 'I do, and so does that monster' he hissed the name through his teeth.

Mesprit frowned 'What's wrong? Has something happened?' she inquired.

'Do you know what time of year it is, Mesprit?' Widdershin asked her.

Mesprit's face went blank, showing she was in thought. A moment later, she gasped, 'Oh, no!' she cried, covering her mouth with her hand.

Widdershin nodded gravely. 'He wants to take her as his mate' he growled, standing up.

'H-he can't, he _wouldn't_! Amez! What can we do?' Mesprit face was a mix of concern and worry for her friend.

Widdershin was staring at the flat, even piece of rock in front of him, still growling. 'He makes me so MAD!' he yelled, bringing his hand, which was curled into a fist above his head, and smashing it through the rock, leaving a very impressive dent.

His fist began to glow a sparkling white. The light began to travel down his arm, until it had enveloped his entire body. Mesprit gazed in awe.

Widdershin felt himself getting larger. He felt his back arch slightly as his arms and torso became bigger. His face felt as if it was being stretched, and his tail felt like it was being doused by water, whereas his head began to feel hot. When he stopped growing, he suddenly felt a new strength in his upper body; it made him feel strong. He let out a cry that sounded like a wild animal as the white light left his body.

Mesprit just gazed at him. 'Congratulations, Widdershin, you've evolved' she stated.

'I have?' he asked, his eyebrows rose in surprise. The poor guy was in a state of confusion and was rather dizzy, especially as his head still felt very hot.

Mesprit nodded, and hovered over the edge of the rock ledge, indicating for him to look over into the water. He followed her, stumbling about as he wasn't used to his new size, and gasped. The reflection that was apparently him was of a huge ape, over 3 the times the size of Mesprit in height. His body was no longer plain orange, now it was a reddish-brown colour. On his chest was what looked like a gold chest plate, which showed white fur underneath, and he had the same matching gold on his shoulder pads, knee pads and wrist guards. His hands and feet were a royal blue, with his calves the same white as his chest. The same royal blue was repeated inside his now big ears. His muzzle was the same reddish-brown, with a red brow that covered his eyes, which were a deep, gentle blue, soft compared to the royal blue of his hands and feet, and white fur over the rest of his face. He now had a long monkey tail as oppose to a flame. Now he had a ring of fire burning brightly on his head.

'Is, that,_ me_?' he turned to Mesprit.

She nodded 'Now you're an Infernape' she told him.

'Infernape? But, don't we Chimchar have a secondary evolution? Monferno, isn't it?' he asked, rubbing his temple in confusion.

'Yes, you do. However, because you were in your Chimchar state for so long, and your sudden, er, outburst I should say, triggered your strength, I think you skipped your second stage. Normally Chimchar are used in battles, being a Starter Pokemon, so they are gaining a lot of experience in the battle field and physically as well. You've never been in that type of battle, so when you hit at that rock, it brought out your fighting spirit, as now you're a duel Fire and Fighting-type Pokemon' Mesprit tried to explain.

'Oh' was all Widdershin could say. He sat down, the ground shaking a bit under his weight.

'You must feel very strongly about Amez and Dylan, if just smashing a rock in spite of him would trigger your evolution' Mesprit commented.

Widdershin didn't say anything, just stared at his hands, touching the gold wrist guards. It all felt so strange.

'You know, I don't think Amez likes Dylan. Whenever she visits me, I don't have any obvious aura of love emanating from her. You need to show her your there for her, especially as you're her best friend. Show her how much you care about her, of course without admitting your feelings' Mesprit said, hand on her chin as she consoled her new plan.

'How do I do that?' Widdershin asked, looking up, a confused look on his face.

Mesprit

S face suddenly broke into a huge grin. 'You're going to throw her a Sweet 16 Party!'

**A/N: If you would like to see a picture of Dylan, please click the Deviantart link on my profile :) **

**Rose**


	3. Party Plans

Chapter 3 – Party Plans

'But… don't you think it's _wrong_, Mesprit? That I like Amez when I'm not human?' Widdershin sighed, exasperated.

Mesprit was quiet for a moment. 'Love' she stated.

'What?'

'You love Amez, not like her. There's a difference!' she rolled her gold eyes, making Widdershin groan in annoyance.

Mesprit giggled, but then she became serious again. 'Normally this is frowned upon, but for your case it's a very different situation. Dylan has made a wrong decision falling for a human as well, but because of what he is; Amez needs you to protect her. It must be said, I don't think Amez realises just how dangerous he is. Widdershin' she fluttered down so she was face to face with him 'Amez means a lot to me, she's my best friend too. Promise me that you'll keep her safe'

'Of course, I promise. Do you think I'd let that monster hurt her?' Widdershin growled, his hands balling into fists.

Mesprit shuddered at Widdershin's outburst 'No, I didn't mean it like that!'

Widdershin relaxed, closing his eyes in defeat. 'So, how do we plan this party?' he sighed.

Mesprit laughed her tinkling water laugh, and clapped her hands together in glee.

Amez woke up the next morning, groaning as the sun broke through her curtains and hit her straight in the face. She rolled over, hiding under the comforter, trying to get back to sleep. She'd had a pretty sleepless night, whenever she'd managed to finally doze off; she'd had recurring nightmares, mostly starring Dylan. She couldn't believe he'd tried to kiss her! Something funny was up with him, he always seemed to try and touch her, but she would mostly slug him off. However, he was really strong, and it wasn't always easy, and she liked having two arms, so she just had to give in and pretend he wasn't there.

She sighed, and got up. She'd missed Widdershin last night; whenever she had nightmares, he would always soothe her. They would stay up, just talking about silly things until she fell back to sleep on her own. He hadn't come back, so she hoped he was okay. She wasn't used not having him nearby. She plodded down the stairs, following the smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen.

'Morning Mum' she yawned as she sat down at the table rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'I've been called a few different names in my time, but never mum! I'd be a bit worried if you're confusing me for Johanna' a deep, yet somehow familiar voice laughed.

Amez stared in shock as the figure at the stove turned around, revealing an Infernape clad in her mother's baking apron.

'_Widdershin?_' she asked, eyes wide.

'Good morning to you to, Amez' he laughed.

'Ohmigoshyouevolved!' she squealed, as she leapt out of her seat and into his arms, catching him in a hug.

Widdershin blushed; her pyjamas were a bit skimpy: blue silk shorts and a white strap vest. However she didn't see, nor did she seem concerned about her revealing clothes. He was now slightly taller then her, around the same height as Dylan in human form. He hesitated, before gently hugging her back; he didn't know the limits of his newfound strength yet.

She pulled back laughing, and touched his check. 'How?' she breathed.

'How about we talk about it over breakfast? I don't know about you, but I'm starving!' he grinned, and pulled a plate of pancakes from next to the stove and made his way over to the kitchen table, Amez tagging along, bouncing with excitement like a puppy out for it's morning walk.

'Since when do you cook?' she asked, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrow.

'Since I can actually reach into the cupboards and control the stove at the same time' he replied good naturedly.

Amez giggled, reaching for the maple syrup at the same time he did, both their hands touching at the same time. This caused them both to laugh again.

'Ladies first' he said, handing it to her like a waiter in a restaurant.

'Why thank you' she replied in a posh British accent.

As she drowned her pancakes in syrup, Widdershin poured them out some orange juice, of course serving Amez first.

'My dear Widdershin, you're such a gentleman' she spoke in the same posh accent, trying to surpass a giggle. Widdershin just rolled his eyes, but laughed too.

It had been a while since Amez had felt so buoyant. You just couldn't be too happy around Dylan and his dark demeanour. Whereas when she was with Widdershin, she didn't have to worry about trivial things, like making sure he didn't invade her personal space like Dylan would whenever he got the chance. With Widdershin and his easy-going, open attitude, she could be herself. She could laugh and joke and just enjoy the moment. She couldn't do that with Dylan. She raised her glass of orange juice in a toast. 'Cheers!'

'Cheers!' Widdershin returned the gesture, smiling as he watched her dig in to her breakfast.

'So you want to hear about my evolution or not?' he grumbled like a kid whinnying for a candy bar, laying his arm on the table and the other hand on his heart, feigning he had been hurt by her forgetting.

'Mhm' she tried to say, although her mouth was full.

Widdershin laughed. 'Well when I went out yesterday, I decided to go visit Mesprit. She inquired about your birthday, and if you had made any plans for a celebration. I said no you hadn't, so she said why don't we plan a birthday party in her cavern. I replied a little too enthusiastically' he chuckled 'and in my haste I accidentally knocked into and smashed a nearby boulder. That triggered my evolution, but because I was in my Chimchar state for so long, I skipped my Monferno stage to become the Infernape you see sitting across from you. The end' he got up and bowed, receiving a round of applause from Amez.

He felt bad lying to her, but how could he tell her the real story without admitting his feelings? Simple, he couldn't. And plus he didn't want to bring Dylan into the conversation, especially after his sick joke last night. They were perfectly fine without him, just as they had been before he came into the picture three years ago.

'Cool! So what's like, now being a part fighting-type?' she questioned.

'Weird. I'm not use to this new size, and strength, oh and speed! I got back from Lake Verity in less than two minutes! How long does it take you, hm?' he cocked a thick eyebrow at her.

She swallowed. 'Ten' she replied indignantly 'A perfectly normal and average time'

'Ten. Sloooow human' he emphasised the slow 'Like a turtle!'

'Hey!' Amez cried, making an attempt at swatting him with her fork, but he dodged it easily, grinning widely again.

'Sloooow' he repeated, laughing. Amez just rolled her eyes, and went back to eating her breakfast.

'So where's Mum?'

'Johanna's out at the studio working. But she did give us a list of stuff we need to buy for your party. She said we should go to the Pokemart in Sandgem Town when we're done with breakfast'

'And what did she say about your new look?'

'Let's just say she handled it better than you, "ohmygoshyouevolved!"' he said, imitating her perfectly, sniggering.

This time she did succeeded in poking him with her fork, hard enough to push him off his chair. Now it was her turn to snigger.

'Are you done?' he asked, getting up and brushing himself off.

Amez nodded 'Thanks for that, never knew you were such a great cook. I'll do the dishes' she said as she made her way over to the sink with the plates piled in her hands.

Widdershin was in front of her before she even had time to blink.

'I'll do it' he said, taking the plates of her hands, smiling.

'Are you sure? You shouldn't have to do all the work' Amez replied, frowning.

'Don't worry. Just go get dressed. The sooner you're ready, the sooner we can get going' he all but shooed her out the kitchen.

'Don't forget to ditch the apron!' she called behind her, as she whizzed up the stairs, Widdershin's laugh echoing behind her.

A few minutes later Amez came back down the stairs, dressed in dark blue jeans and a long sleeved purple top, with silver stars flowing across the front from the left side. Her hair had been brushed, and tucked behind her ears with two matching silver star hair clips.

'You look nice' Widdershin said, as he held the door open while she slipped on her trainers.

'Thanks!' she smiled warmly at him, following him outside and locking the door behind her, slipping the key into her pocket.

'It's chilly today' she stated, unconsciously moving nearer Widdershin. He seemed to be radiating warmth from his fur. It always seemed to be cold around Dylan.

'It'll take ages if we walk. Do you want to see how I travel now?' Widdershin didn't even bother to wait for a reply, before the Infernape took of, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

'Wha? Hey!' Amez yelled after him.

He was back before she had even taken a step forward, laughing.

'Sloooow human!' he pointed at her.

Amez pouted 'Oh yeah? Why don't you just go by yourself then?' she said harshly before turning around back toward the house.

Widdershin grabbed her shoulder 'Hey, I'm sorry, you know I was kidding. I-'

'Physch! Can't believe you got owned by a 'sloooow human'!' she jeered at him, in a joking way.

'Why you!'

Suddenly she was on his back, arms around his neck. It was nice and warm here.

'Come on, I'll get us_ both_ there quicker!' He told her, before taking off again.

Neither of them noticed the burning blood red eyes that watched them from the shadows.

Widdershin was true to his word, he got the two of them into Sandgem Town in less then five minutes. He stopped outside the Pokemart; a blue topped building next to the Pokemon Centre. He let Amez down. Her hair was windblown, and her checks were rosy from the wind, which contrasted with her pale skin and dark hair, making her look beautiful, almost mystic, like a china doll.

'Wow! That was incredible!' she grinned, running her hand through her fringe.

'Don't forget we've still got the journey back!' Widdershin grinned.

Both smiling, they entered the shop. Pokemon were allowed inside the Pokemart. There was a young boy with Rattata sitting on his shoulder, while his mother was being followed around by a Chansey. Even the checkout counters had Chingling ready to bag customer's items for them, so no one paid a glance at Widdershin.

He pulled out a shopping list from his wrist guard, which was covered in Johanna's neat handwriting. The two friends set off toward the confectionary aisle. As Amez was scanning the racks of crisps, she accidentally bumped into another girl when she tripped over a stray bottle top, sending her and the crisps flying.

'I'm so sorry!' she cried, offering the girl a hand.

The girl looked to be around her age. She had a soft beige skin, that seemed to have a hint of pink in it. Her hair was pale green, cut into a straight fringe, with layers similar to her own, which reached a few inches past her shoulders, short in comparison. She had a pale pink flower tucked behind her ear. Her outfit consisted of a strappy white top and matching white gypsy skirt, which ended mid calf; way to revealing for this cold weather. On her feet were white stilettos. Her eyes were the exact colour of Amez's own; a soft, forest green.

The girl accepted Amez's hand. Amez couldn't help flinching as she pulled the girl to her feet; her skin was ice cold.

'Are you okay?' Amez asked, concerned.

'My name is Serena' the girl spoke in a clear, high soprano voice, which sounded strangely young coming from a teenager.

'Oh, er, hi Serena, I'm Amez, and this is Widdershin' Amez introduced them. Widdershin waved; however Serena ignored, and continued to stare at Amez.

'Hello Amez' she smiled.

'Are you okay?' Amez asked again, this time she didn't just mean from the fall.

'Yes, why wouldn't I be?' Serena replied, clearly confused.

'Oh, ok, never mind. I'm sorry, I need to get going, nice meeting you' Amez said stiffly, walking past her.

'I'll see you soon' it wasn't a question.

'Sure' Amez smiled at the green-haired girl 'See you round'

'Goodbye!' Serena called after them.

'Strange girl' Widdershin whispered, as soon as they were out of earshot.

Amez nodded, glancing behind to see Serena waving wildly from her spot.


	4. Threats

Chapter 4 – Threats

An hour or so later, the two friends had finished the shopping, paid, and were walking back home. They were laden with bags, heavy bags, so Amez had suggested they walk back and just enjoy the scenery, much to Widdershin's dismay; he liked his new speed. So did Amez, however she knew that Dylan would we waiting for them back at the house, and she didn't want to see him so soon after the kissing incident yesterday, especially if her mother wasn't around to keep an eye on them. Also, she liked being alone with Widdershin. It was like there was some sort of strange connection binding them together; she just couldn't stay away from him. Everything about him was the exact opposite of Dylan. He radiated warmth, Dylan was shrouded in cold. He had a magnetic charisma, Dylan had a repelling aura. He was just so _nice_, pleased by the simplest things, whereas Dylan seemed to not care about anything except having everything his own way.

Amez sighed heartily. If course Dylan cared! He was the Controller of Chaos, it was his job to take care of Sinnoh! It must be a difficult job, but at least it wasn't a burden like when he was the renegade Deity of Death. Nevertheless something was definitely up with him, and she didn't like it.

Widdershin noticed her sigh. 'Everything okay?' he asked.

'I was just thinking about Dylan' she began.

It took practically all of his self control not to let out that automatic growl at the mention of that monster's name. He felt his stance go into battle mode, because Dylan meant danger. _Calm down_, he told himself, _he's not here_. He took a quick deep breath, and felt his shoulders relax. All this action had taken place within a second, so Amez hadn't noticed a thing; she wasn't even looking at him.

'He's been acting so strange lately' she continued 'I hope everything's okay with him'

If he could actually sweat, Widdershin knew he'd be soaking right now. But of course, being a fire-type, especially one with a flame on his head, it was physically impossible, and he was glad for it. What should he do? Tell Amez about that it was currently Pokemon mating season and Giratina was planning to covet her? That would, understandably, freak her out, and what if she became distant from him because she thought he would try to do the same thing? But for Widdershin, love and lust were completely separate things, all he wanted for her was to be happy, and if she way happier staying away from him, he would be okay with it, especially if she knew the real truth about Dylan. Or worse… what if he told her and she agreed? She obviously cares about Dylan, what if she was starting to fall for him? But if he didn't tell her, she could end up mated to Dylan against her will. He could start of by just giving her an innocent hug, and then it just carries on from there, and Amez couldn't win a fight against Dylan, he was so much stronger then her.

All these possible outcomes were swirling around in poor Widdershin's head, but the biggest question was: did he care enough to tell her and scare her away from him? Or was he selfish enough to not tell her just to enjoy her company a bit longer while it lasted? Come on Widdershin, do what you think is right.

'Well, have you spoken to him about it?' he replied, trying to keep casual (how anyone can talk casually about Giratina was a complete mystery to him, he was still holding back that growl).

'When we were sitting by the pond yesterday I asked if anything was wrong, but he just smiled and shook his head'

_And then proceeded to cuddle up to you_. Widdershin remembered clearly the look of frustration in Dylan's blood red eyes, impossible to miss even when hidden under all that smouldering affection at Amez's reluctant reactions.

'Why don't you ask the other Dragons? They'll know if anything's the matter with their brother' _And just encourage him to hurry up on a good catch._

'No way! I know their good guys, but truth be told, they scare me to death!' she giggled.

'So I guess that leaves them off the invitation list then?' Widdershin chuckled, but secretly he was glad Amez wasn't too fond of the Dragon Trio.

Amez stopped laughing 'I hope Dylan hasn't mentioned my birthday to them. I'm really thrilled to be having a Sweet Sixteen party, but I don't want it to be that much of a deal, just you, Mum, Professor Rowan, the Lake Trio and Dylan'

There was a pause, before Widdershin asked a question that had been bugging him since the day he had first discovered who that monster really was. 'Does Dylan scare you?' he asked softly.

There was another pause. The look of concentration on her face told Widdershin she was figuring out how to word something; it was the same face she had whenever she was doing her incredibly difficult school essays.

'Yes, sometimes… sometimes I feel he's not listening to me, that he doesn't care about what I have to say. He just does things on his won accord, you know?' _I know _'I mean, I'm not saying he's trying to come on to me or anything, I'm not that girl, the girl who boys like, I'm just a nerd, nothing special-'

Widdershin dropped his bags (still being careful in his haste) and placed both hands on Amez's shoulders, turning her to look at him, although not forcefully at all, he was ever gentle. He stared down into her eyes, deep blue ocean meeting soft green forest.

'Amez, you are special, don't ever say otherwise! You've got a caring heart, you're willing to help those in trouble, you always put others before yourself, remember the whole Team Galactic incident three years ago? You had the courage to stand up to the Dragons, to Cyrus! Except Cole and Elsa, who are far less terrifying then the latter I must say' he chuckled, but then became serious again 'Those are the traits that make you special and unique, Amez' he couldn't bear to tear his eyes away.

Amez stared at him in awe. He had hit the nail right on the head; he didn't even mention her looks or intelligence, the normal things that people are noticed for. He had spoken of personality traits that were typical of her, ones she didn't even realise she had. He had pulled back the layers and found the traits that really did make her special.

Widdershin mistook her silence for fear. He knew he wasn't a cute little monkey anymore, now he was a large ape with a ring of fire on his head and the strength to crush boulders (and a certain fake human…), he could be dangerous as well, he was no better than the monster! Especially as he could talk, he was much more of a threat than regular Pokemon. He let go and retreated back a few steps.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that' he looked down, ashamed, mentally kicking himself.

Amez dropped her bags and ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck, holding herself to him. Widdershin was in a state of shock and confusion.

'Aren't, aren't you scared of me?' he whispered, still refusing to hug her back.

'You thought? No! No of course not! Widdershin, you're my best friend!' she turned to face him 'I feel so safe when I'm with you. It's like when we're together, I know everything will always be okay, simply because you're there' she felt for his hand, so warm in this chilly air, not realising how cold she was.

Widdershin smiled, although she couldn't see, and hugged her back. She was freezing. He felt her hand entwine with his, so small and delicate. They stayed that way for a few moments, before slowly breaking apart. In a comfortable silence, they gathered up the bags and continued walking, never letting go of each other.

In a short while, they were back at the house, even though they had been in no rush to get back. Widdershin groaned silently as a dark figure stood up from the porch steps.

'Hey, Amez, want some help?' Dylan called, rushing over and snatching the bags from Amez's hand before she even had a chance to protest.

'Widdershin!' he feigned surprise at seeing the Infernape standing next to Amez, hands clasped together 'You look different, did you do something with your hair?' he asked innocently.

'Nice to see you to, Dylan' Widdershin replied, trying to be friendly.

'Oh, Amez, Mesprit came calling for you earlier. She wants to see you, something about a party? It's your birthday soon, isn't it?' Dylan said, back to Widdershin, excluding him from the conversation.

'Hey Dylan. Did she? Yeah, it is. I'd better go and see what she wants, then' Amez turned to leave, gently pulling Widdershin along.

Dylan rushed to Widdershin's other side, and slung his arm over his shoulder, like they were best friends. Widdershin flinched at his touch, causing Dylan to smirk.

'Actually, she said she wanted to see you alone. In fact, I was hoping to speak to our dear friend Widdershin here in private. How convenient!' he said happily, Widdershin glaring at him.

'Oh, okay then. See you guys later' Amez turned to leave, her hand slipping out of Widdershin's grasp.

'Bye Amez, don't take to looong' Widdershin snickered, bringing back their old joke.

Amez rolled her eyes, and took off towards Lake Verity, waving goodbye behind her.

'Later!' Dylan called at her retreating back.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Dylan drew his arm away sharply, as if he had been burned. He stood facing Widdershin, arms crossed, red eyes burning enough to match the flame on his head.

'Well well Widdershin, it seems the current season is starting to effect you too' he said mockingly.

'Listen Dylan, if you do anything to Amez that she doesn't want you to do, or hurt her in any way, I will personally hunt you down and burn you alive!' Widdershin warned, growling.

'That's a big threat coming from someone who should also apply to the cause' Dylan shot back.

A mewing sound was heard, and a moment later Glameow appeared, jumping off the roof in a graceful leap and walking over to stand beside Widdershin, hissing furiously at Dylan.

'Stupid cat' he muttered 'Well' he continued to Widdershin 'It's fairly obvious that you and Amez are much more compatible now then you were yesterday' he began to circle him, all the while Glameow hissing, never taking her eyes off the boy 'How can you go against your nature? We Pokemon need to take mates, we aren't just animals. We have needs and desires too' he came to stand still on Widdershin's right side, and whispered in his ear 'Amez is _mine_, and she looks as though she'll be a thoroughly fun experience'

That did it. Glameow shrieked, and dived for his legs, sinking her claws into his calves. Widdershin let out a battle cry, and aimed a punch directly at his face, letting all his newfound strength out. Dylan wasn't expecting the blow to be so hard, and was caught off guard, staggering and falling backwards. But he was up before Widdershin had a chance to make his next move, kicking and sending a screeching Glameow onto the steps. There was a sickening crunching sound as her body collided with the marble steps. She lay lifeless, in a pool of blood that was rapidly growing larger every second. Before either Pokemon could make another attack, they were stopped by the sound of footsteps behind them. Dylan quickly dusted himself off, while Widdershin pretended to be fascinated by a small black flower growing by the pond side.

'Hi boys' Johanna called cheerily as she walked towards them 'Oh, Widdershin, I see you got the shopping. I'm guessing Amez is at the lake?' she inquired, as she slipped her key into the lock.

'Oh, Glameow! What have you done?' Johanna cried, scooping up the blue cat, who was lying limp on the doorstep, a huge cash running along her back.

'Could you guys please bring the bags inside? I'm going to call Professor Rowan, a Pokemon Centre won't be enough to help Glameow' her voice broke on the last two words, as she held the mattered cat to her chest, a tear slipping down her face as she entered the house.

Widdershin stared at the boy in shock and anger, unable to move. If that's the type of damage caused by just one kick, Amez was in far more danger then he had even imagined.

'You heard her, pick up the bags' he ordered, pointing at the bags in disgust, before following Johanna inside.

Widdershin growled under his breath, then picked up the bags and dragged them inside. A minute later he came back out with a wet cloth, to mop up the pool of blood on the doorstep. It would upset Amez, when she found out the blood was Glameow's. When he was done, he made his way to the pond and sat on the bench to wait for Professor Rowan, who was due to arrive any minute. Both Widdershin and Dylan knew it was to late, but he didn't have the heart to tell Johanna that.

He leaned over and swiftly plucked the unusual black flower, cupping it gently in his hands. He decided not to tell Amez that Dylan was once again the cause, he would just keep his mouth shut and just be her shoulder to cry on. However, he wondered if Professor Rowan would figure out the truth. Glameow was a pampered Contest star; she rarely left the house unless it was for a show or check-up. When Johanna turned ten, she decided not to become a Trainer, but a Pokemon Co-ordinator instead, so she was gifted with a Glameow from her parents rather then a Starter from the Professor (it hadn't been Rowan then). As a teenager, Johanna had been a star of Pokemon contests, and soon enough she was offered a job at Jubilife TV Station as a Reporter on the events, which meant she had a reliable job and was still able to enter the Contests as a hobby.

Johanna wouldn't believe in the 'she got in a fight' excuse, because Glameow hardly set foot outside their home grounds. Dylan was the one responsible, so it was his job to figure out a cover up. He just hoped that the Professor would see through the lies at the damage that monster could do.


	5. RIP Dear Friend

Chapter 5 – RIP Dear Friend

Amez skipped along the path that led to the lakeside, humming happily to herself. She knew her party was going to be held in Mesprit's cavern, and Mesprit probably wanted to speak to her about decorations or something. As she neared the trees that bordered the lake, a whirl of pink shot out from between the branches, stopping just before her.

'Hi, Mesprit!' Amez greeted her cheerily 'You wanted to see me?'

Amez's face fell when she saw the worried look in Mesprit's eyes. 'What's up?' she asked.

Mesprit shook her head sadly, 'I'm afraid something terrible just happened. We need to get back to your house'.

Before Amez could question her, Mesprit touched her shoulder and teleported them back the way she had come.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Professor Rowan had arrived via his Staraptor. The large grey bird was waiting patiently outside, eyeing the Finneon in the pond, who had all mysteriously disappeared, while everyone else was gathered inside.

Glamoew was lying on the kitchen table on a white towel, with Professor Rowan examining her with a big portable light. Johanna was standing nearby, her face covered in tears, her eyes red and puffy. Whenever Rowan muttered to himself, or Glameow made any noise, Johanna would squeak, and burst into tears again. Widdershin was standing in the corner, unsure of what to do with himself. He wished he could comfort her, but whenever he tried Johanna would just sob louder, causing Dylan to smirk silently from his seat on the sofa. He just sat there casually, seemingly unaware that this whole ordeal was his own fault.

Rowan looked up from his work and coughed gently, making Johanna jump. The towel had managed to slow down Glameow's bleeding; however she had already lost a lot of blood. The towel was already soaking scarlet, and her once gorgeous blue fur was now a dried, crusted brown.

'H-how is she?' Johanna asked, shuffling over to the table.

'I'm afraid… it doesn't look good' Rowan bowed his head sadly as Johanna burst into a fresh round of tears.

Rowan waited patiently for Johanna to calm down, so he could continue. Widdershin hovered closer, yet still keeping his distance, while Dylan casually leaned over the back of the sofa, his face showing a mixture of almost sickly delight, covered by a mask of boredom.

'Glameow has lost over a third of blood, and has a broken both hind legs and a rib, which has severely punctured her lung' he lifted his head up, his eyes hard 'This kind of damage isn't caused by an accident. Could it have been a Pokemon attack?' he looked over at Dylan as he said this.

'What's with the look, Professor?' Dylan asked innocently.

Johanna had stopped crying and quieted down; she was staring at Dylan with a look of confusion. What was Rowan implying? Dylan was no monster! Indeed, she had thought he, as Giratina, had killed her husband, Nathan, but after Amez had defeated Cyrus' evil plan, the truth had been revealed: Giratina had tried to save Nathan, and failed, therefore had the blame of being the murderer of the tale. Dylan would NEVER do this to Glameow!

Widdershin knew exactly what Johanna was thinking. Of course she wouldn't believe Dylan was the one responsible, after all, he was the good guy that tried to save Nathan nearly sixteen years ago, that made him a saint in her book. And, to be honest, there was never any trouble caused by Giratina, so he had a clean history. As the 'Controller of Chaos', doing something like this, killing an innocent Pokemon, would go against his nature. Which was why it was such a good cover-up.

'Dylan, you and I both know the power of your strength-'

'That's true, Professor, but Widdershin has evolved recently! When Pokemon evolve, especially if it's the rare occasion from the first stage to third stage of the evolution line, that Pokemon will have a great increase in their strength, and it's almost impossible to control, and slip-ups' and turned to Widdershin, who was staring at him in disbelief 'are bound to happen. Aren't they, Widdershin?' he said, his face mocking.

'What?' Amez stood in the doorway, her eyes wide in anger as she glared daggers at Dylan.

Mesprit hovered behind her, her face showing no emotion, but her golden eyes were cold.

'I knew it!' Johanna turned to Widdershin, her face red and wet from all the tears 'You're a monster! You're dangerous!' she brought her hand up to his face, and slapped him hard, continuously, as he tried to protect himself, without attacking her in return.

'Mom, stop it!' Amez cried, running up and pulling her mother away, as she stood in front of her friend defensively.

Johanna stared at Amez in surprise, as her daughter stood by defending the _thing_ that murdered Glameow.

'He's a Pokemon, Amez! He's not like us humans! He has no control!' Johanna said in a firm, steel-hard, all tears gone from her face, with cold anger taking full force.

'In case you hadn't noticed, that boy that you adore so much' Amez turned her gaze to Dylan 'is a Pokemon TOO! He's the Controller of Chaos! How can you say they have no control, when one of them themselves is the Deity in charge of it?' she shouted back.

'Now wait a minute' Dylan started, his blood red eyes almost a coal black as he stood almost menacingly from the coach 'I am a Legendary, with the power to control my strength. As I stated before, Widdershin is newly evolved, he has yet to train to earn that power of control. I agree with Johanna, he is a threat to Amez's safety' his voice was icy.

'That's rich coming from you! Who was the one that was sentenced to being the Deity of Death due to acts of violence?' Mesprit sneered, getting involved now.

'Now let's not be rash…' Rowan started, but his voice was lost in the shouts and insults that were flying across the room.

All four of them; Johanna, Amez, Dylan, and Mesprit were standing in a square, glaring daggers at each other as they all broke out into a massive argument, their voices carrying higher and higher as the four way brawl of the mouths furthered.

Widdershin stood behind Amez, devastated at the turn of events. Amez had come to his defence straight away, but her mind could be changed… how long would it be before she too was convinced he was dangerous? Not that he disagreed with that, because truth be told, that had been his worry from the beginning; hurting her. If he had too refrain from touching her, he could cope, but he couldn't live without her presence, he just couldn't. He loved her. Simple as that. Yet, he needed to keep her safe, not just from Dylan, but from himself too.

The argument was interrupted by a soft, choking mew from Glameow, which caught everyone's immediate attention. The little broken blue cat lifted her head weakly, blue eyes looking directly at Amez as she mewed again. Amez hurried to her side, stroking her head softly as the cat gave one last purr. With the last ounce of strength she possessed, she turned her gaze to Dylan, and let out her final hiss, and her eyes dropped, never to open again. Everyone bowed their heads in respect, even Dylan, as they parted with a friend. Amez shut her eyes in agony, as she lent down to tenderly kiss the cat's forehead, before running headlong for the stairs that led up too her room, Widdershin watching after her sadly.

After a minute, Rowan cleared his throat. 'I think we should lay her to rest at the Lost Tower' he spoke softly, gently touching Johanna's shoulder, 'Is that okay with you, Johanna?'

Johanna merely nodded, unable to speak as the reality set in. She had lost her dearest childhood friend. Rowan wrapped Glameow's body in the towel, and gathering his things away in his briefcase, abruptly left the house. Dylan offered Johanna his arm, as they followed the Professor out, shutting the door behind them, leaving Widdershin and Mesprit alone in the solemn room.

Mesprit glanced at the staircase, 'I think you should go comfort her now. She needs a friend' she smiled. 'I'll accompany the others too the Lost Tower. I know how the feelings of loss and sadness eat away at the human soul; it's terribly unpleasant. I think, Johanna especially, will benefit from my presence. Take care of Amez, Widdershin' she nodded her head in parting, before teleporting out of sight.

Widdershin pulled out the strange black flower from his wrist guard, twirling it idly. With a deep breathe; he headed for the stairs, and his heart.

He opened her door to Amez's room quietly, than panicked when he couldn't see her, his body going into fighting mode at the thought of her missing, then relaxed as he spotted her sitting on her knees by her bed, looking through a stack of photographs, each starring the blue cat.

At the noise of his entrance, she turned too face him, her face a show of surprise when she spotted the flower in his hands. 'Oh, a black Gracedia!' she exclaimed.

Widdershin nodded, 'Do you know what they symbolise?' he asked kindly, holding out his arm for her to take, helping herself up.

'A message too the wind, of goodbye…' she trailed off, looking toward the window at the setting sun.

'Then let's give our farewell to Glameow, together' he smiled, leading her toward the open window.

They stood side by side, staring out into the trees that surrounded the quant town of Twinleaf. A gentle breeze blew softly into the room, waving the curtains and Amez's clothes slightly, bringing in the chills of the early evening.

'Goodbye, Glameow. May you rest well, our dear friend' Widdershin said, out into the open air, his voice carrying out on the wind.

'Rest well, Glameow' Amez echoed. Widdershin handed her the black flower, watching as she kissed the petals tenderly, just as she'd done in her own goodbye to Glameow, before letting the flower loose into the air, watching as it was carried off into the sunset, to deliver their goodbye to Glameow, wherever she was now.

Amez turned away from the sight, and into Widdershin's waiting embrace.

Later that evening, Amez and Johanna were cuddled together on the sofa, wrapped in blankets, just holding each other. Widdershin had cooked again, pasta this time, and had managed to convince Amez to swallow a few mouthfuls, but no avail with Johanna. She was still giving him cold looks, refusing to look him in the eye, which clearly angered Amez, although she didn't say anything, not wanting to make an already horrible day get worse.

Johanna had her head on Amez's shoulder, her eyes closed, sleeping soundly. She had cried all she could, all tears now gone from her body, leaving only exhaustion behind. Amez hadn't shed a tear, determined to stay strong for her mother and give her the support she needed. She knew how she would feel if it had been Widdershin that had been lost. Smiling internally, she knew that Widdershin couldn't be killed that easily; he was definitely one of the strongest Pokemon she had ever come across, and it wasn't just his physical strength that gave him that power. It was his heart, so open, and his soul, so caring, and the way he gave everything he could unconditionally, that made him so powerful. And for that, she was grateful. She didn't think she could function without him now, his role in her life was just so big; she couldn't lose him.

The object of her thoughts neared her slowly, still careful not to make any sudden movements in case too trigger a reaction from her; he still feared the possibility that she would believe Dylan's lies, and her mother's influence.

'Bed time, I think?' he asked gently, holding out his arm.

Amez carefully eased herself out of her mother's grasp, laying her down softly on the coach, laying the blanket over her. Johanna didn't stir; the emotional stress of the day had completely worn her out.

Amez was already dressed in her pyjamas, so when they reached her room, she hopped straight into bed. The lights were out, but the window was still open, the silver light of the moon casting everything into an eerie shadow. Widdershin headed for his usual stuffy armchair in the corner, hopping it would still suffice for his new size. He hadn't had slept in Amez's since his evolution.

'Urgh…'

'Yes?' he asked, turning to look at her. With his heightened eyesight, he could see her form clearly in the darkness, sitting on the covers.

'Could you, stay with me, tonight? I don't want to be alone…' came her reply, her voice shrouded in sadness, tugging on his heartstrings. Without a second thought, he was by her side, sitting next to her on the covers with his back against the headboard, before he knew what was happening.

When she saw he had obliged, she tucked her legs under the covers, but remained sitting upright, leaning her head on Widdershin's shoulder, and began to cry, silent, cold tears running down her face. Widdershin could smell her tears, and put his arm around her, careful not to let her too close to the flame on his head. She continued to cry, as he stroked her arm in his attempt to comfort her, without getting too close.

Eventually, she nodded off into sleep. Widdershin moved his arm from around her, aiming to lay her down properly, but she grabbed his torso, refusing to move in her unconsciousness. His eyes widened in surprise, and secret delight, as he instinctively, slowly, lovingly unhooked her arms in moved her round so she was now sitting in his lap, her head still rested on his shoulder. In his arms, he felt her relax again.

He stroked her arms again; worried that she might be cold without a blanket, and didn't want to disrupt her sleep again by moving so he could get the bed cover out from under them, so resorted to hoping his own warmth would be enough. As a fire-type, his fur gave off heat.

Sighing happily, he looked down at the sleeping girl leaned up against his chest. Then he groaned. Moving her closer to him as he'd done had been instinct; he'd done that without thinking, because now his urge to care for her, and protect her was becoming stronger, more instinctual, every moment. He was acting almost like… a mate.

_Don't go there! _He told himself internally. _You're just like Dylan! You're a Pokemon, she's a human! You can't have her! _His head screamed at him, as he metaphorically bowed under the pressure from the voice in his head, until he felt Amez move in his arms, and then he lost all focus to that voice, and focussed solely on her, his senses snapping to attention. She was perfectly fine, just simply tossing in her sleep, like she usually did. He relaxed, knowing she was alright, and then groaned again. If he kept this up, he was going to get in way over his head, and then it would be too late.

**A/N: I made an accompanying MV (Music Video) for Widdershin, and how his character is at present in this story. Please visit the Youtube link on my profile! **

**Rose**


	6. Heart, Break and Grave

Chapter 6 – Heart, Break and Grave

Widdershin turned over in his sleep, the empty space next to him enough to jerk him awake as he realized Amez wasn't present beside him. He was up in an instant, his internal instincts roaring in immediate panic and anger at the sight of the empty bed; no one was to touch his Amez! _Find her! Find her! _His instincts screamed at him as he desperately tried to gather the current situation.

It took a few moments for him to calm himself down enough as to start looking for her, but his senses were all on red alert, his body in battle mode at the disappearance of his best friend. The moon shone through the open window, signaling that it was still dark outside, casting everything in pale blue shadow. Widdershin was over looking out through it in a split second, pulling the curtains away and catching the sight of Amez sitting on the bench beside the Finneon pond, her back to the house.

His mind relaxed, whereas his body tensed even more, desperate to actually physically touch her to assure she was really there, not satisfied with just the sight of her apparent safety. Turning away, he was out the already open door, down the stairs and barreling through the front door at top speed, his heart racing.

'Amez!' he cried joyfully as he bounded up behind her, stopping a few feet away, leaving a slight trail of dust behind him.

When she didn't reply, he frowned, his body losing its tension as his stomache turned into knots. 'Amez?' he called again, more tentatively this time.

As he was about to take a hesitant step forward, afraid that she would run from him if he got too close, when the sky suddenly turned black, as if the stars had all turned off their lights. Amez stood up, her back still at him, at the same moment a huge shadow fell over them, which then manifested into the form of Dylan, who stood with his arms folded, the usual patented smirk on his face.

'Amez?' Widdershin asked in confusion for the third time.

'She belongs to me now,' Dylan laughed, his blood red eyes filled with uncontained lust as the black sky cackled with him, a dash of thunder illuminating the scene just long enough for Widdershin to see Amez turn around and mash her lips against Dylan's in a heated kiss, wrapping her arms around him as he held her to his chest.

Widdershin stared at them in horror and shock, his whole world coming to a standstill at the image of his beloved and the Deity of Death in passionate lip lock, who began to kiss his way down her neck as she arched backwards seductively, her giggles urging him forward.

'My mate,' Dylan declared erotically as his lips came in contact with the soft skin at the point where her neck met her collarbone as he lingered, her moans at his simple touch music to his ears.

'No…' Widdershin whispered, unable to tear his eyes away as his body turned ice cold.

Amez straightened up and turned to face him fully, Giratina's mate mark impossible to miss against her fair skin as the monster wrapped his arms around her, his hands playing dangerously near her entrance, but all she did was giggle and nip at his chin, demanding for another kiss, to which he gladly obliged.

They were gone in a cloud of grey smoke as the rain began to fall, Widdershin collapsing as his heart finally broke, never to be truly whole again. He felt numb, as if all the organs in his body had just stopped working, and why wouldn't they? His heart, the one thing that kept him physically alive and breathing, was broken, no longer pumping life through him anymore, and without that one vital force, he may as well be dead, as his life was gone, taken by another.

'Amez!' he cried out in loss, his small voice lost to Dylan's echoing laughter as the rain grew heavier.

-XxX-

'Ah!' Widdershin jerked awake, his fur sticking up on end as he awoke from his nightmare. He was about to let out a sigh of relief when he realized Amez was still sound asleep in his arms, her face pressed against his chest; he could feel her heart beating as he held his breathe, worried he had woken her.

When she didn't wake, he slowly let out his breathe, his tension leaving him as his fur bristled back down again. The sun was gently breaking through the clouds, which told him it was only just sunrise. Nobody would be awake now, and by nobody he meant Dylan, who knew better than to come snooping around the house at this hour, as Amez got very annoyed when she was woken up, especially during the holidays.

Thankfully, the painful images from last nights dream were quickly fading from memory, although the feeling of loss and heartbreak remained. Widdershin looked down at the sleeping girl curled up against him, the precious girl that meant so much to him, and his heart ached in relief, for she wasn't lost from him…yet. Heartbreak in its truest, rawest form is the real weakness of the soul; it leaves it shattered and broken, and in the rare cases of pure, unconditional love, unfixable. Only love itself was stronger than heartbreak, because in the pure, unconditional form of love, it lasts forever, just like heartbreak, only love made, not broke. No matter how much forward a soul can move, after going through heartbreak, the cracks can never be fully healed; they'll always be a scar. Once experiencing heartbreak, a soul can never be truly free, for the proof will always be intact.

A chilly breeze blew in through the open window, Widdershin instinctively pulling Amez up enough to place his muzzle over her head for maximum warmth, along with blanket over the rest of her body. Sighing softly, he held her close, basking in the feeling of togetherness, for only fate knew how long it would last before she would be gone, away from him, be it from her mother's influence, her suitor's lust, or on her own accord.

_If you were to give me your heart Amez, I would cherish it for eternity, just as I cherish you now. I simply don't have the power to break it. _

-XxX-

Amez slowly drifted back into consciousness, feeling the warmth of Widdershin's fur against her check and torso, but didn't open her eyes, not wanting to move from her current position.

'I know you're awake,' Widdershin chuckled, his chest rumbling as he did so.

'I'm not. I'm asleep,' Amez moaned, hugging herself to him tighter.

'Good morning to you too!' he responded with his good-natured wit, which caused Amez to reluctantly unravel herself and sit up, not moving from his lap.

'Morning,' she yawned as she stretched, 'Sleep well?'

He merely nodded, not wanting to recall the images from last night. 'You?' he asked, trying to keep his voice at an even pace.

'Yes thanks,' she snuggled closer to him again, her back to his chest as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. 'It's so cold,' she shivered, and instantly Widdershin's warm arms were around her.

A gust of cool wind ruffled the curtains, bringing with it a small handful of leaves that flew through the open air before gently gliding to the floor, where they lay scattered along the floor, waving in the breeze.

'Glameow loved to chase the leaves,' Amez commented, her voice soft with reminiscence, a sad smile on her face.

'I remember,' Widdershin replied. They were silent for a moment, before Amez asked 'Can we go visit her?'

'I was just about to suggest the same thing,' Widdershin smiled, 'but won't Johanna be there?' he asked hesitantly, not wanting to upset her further with his presence while she was still mourning the loss of her pet.

'No, mom's working today, as usual; she won't be back till late. It's only me who gets the holiday.'

'Then what are you waiting for?' Widdershin grinned.

Amez beamed up at him, then slowly got up out of bed, and dashed into the bathroom, the cold breeze nipping at her bare skin from her skimpy pajamas. Widdershin laughed at the comical sight, as Amez pouted at him as she put on her dressing gown. 'I suppose you wouldn't know what the cold feels like, being a fire-type and all,' she said.

He grinned as he jumped up from the bed. 'Nope!' he made his way to the door, Amez rolling her eyes at him before closing the bathroom door behind her, the sound of running water coming from behind it as she started her morning routine.

'Actually, I do know what the cold feels like. It's cold when you're gone,' he spoke quietly, knowing she wouldn't hear him, before venturing his way downstairs.

-XxX-

After a breakfast of toast and hot chocolate (Amez wanted to skip breakfast altogether, as it was almost lunchtime, eager to get going, but Widdershin was certainly not having any of it) the two friends exited the house, Amez pulling on a white cashmere sweater and black fuzzy boots over her blue jeans.

'Are you really that cold?' Widdershin asked curiously as he waited patiently while she locked the front door behind her, slipping the key into her pocket.

She nodded; about to say something before she was on the Infernape's back. 'Don't worry, I'll keep you warm,' he smiled back at her, before he took off, racing along the path that led to Sandgem Town.

He was there in less than a minute, now more used to his new speed and how to exert it. Turning North, he dashed up the track that led to Jubilife city, but then changed direction Southwards when he reached the city's limits. Opting to stay out of crowded areas for faster ground coverage, he dashed into the trees and continued South, establishing into a quick pace. Amez settled herself down while Widdershin got into a good rhythm, familiarizing himself with the landscape's layout of trees so he could maintain their bearings.

'I remember when I first met you…' Amez spoke up randomly.

'Hm?' Widdershin asked, continuing to blaze forward.

'It was when I had fallen asleep beside Lake Verity, after I had gotten into a fight with Cole. Do you remember?'

'I remember,' Widdershin answered, confused as to where the conversation was going.

'The reason you came up to me was because you thought I was cold, and you wanted to warm me. You were looking out for me back then too,' she smiled fondly, although he didn't see.

'Yeah,' he responded faintly, as he recalled the memory from three years ago of when he had first laid eyes on the raven-haired girl seated on his back.

Amez laid her head down tenderly on his shoulder, watching the trees fly by her long hair flowing like a midnight cloak behind her, as if protecting them, while Widdershin continued to press forward, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

-XxX-

'We're here,' Widdershin said softly, after skidding to a halt an hour or so later. He had never actually been to the Lost Tower before, but knew that it was situated in Route 209 after he had helped Amez study Sinnoh's geographic history.

Amez climbed off his back, staring up at the tall, Gothic-like stone cobbled grey tower before them. A pair of Murkrow were flying around its peak, to which a symbol of a Pokeball was carved into, the text underneath it reading 'The Lost Tower'. Another entrance sign located a few feet in front of the tower read 'Pokemon Cemetery; where the departed sleep in peace'. The tower had a chilling, foreboding kind of feel to it, which reminded Amez of Dylan. She was surprised at herself, wondering why, until she remembered that Giratina supposedly appeared in cemeteries.

Feeling Widdershin's eyes on her face, she took a deep breathe, and turned to face him. 'You okay?' he asked kindly.

'Yeah,' she nodded, her voice sounding dry and small.

He held out his hand, which she took gratefully, and allowed him to lead the way forward as she trudged along behind him, still staring up at the peak. Stopping suddenly, Widdershin bent now and plucked a handful of black Gracidia flowers that were growing through the pavement slabs at the base of the door, handing them to her with an encouraging smile on his face. Amez accepted the flowers, and smiled her thanks, Widdershin nodding in understanding. Pushing open the wooden door, he led her inside, which was filled with a thin layer of ghostly fog, reducing the line of visibility. The fog didn't affect Widdershin; the warmth emanating from his fur was enough to clear the air surrounding them for a few feet, allowing Amez to take in her close surroundings, while Widdershin was fine either way, able to navigate his way around the gravestones and tombs easily thanks to his enhanced Pokemon eyesight.

Eventually, after two flights of stairs, the duo were standing before Glameow's gravestone; a simple slab of stone with the blue cat's name and dates engraved into it. The fog was thicker here, due to being at a higher altitude, covering everything in a blanket of mist, hiding them away from the world, forgotten, Widdershin's prescience the only thing stopping Glameow from being hidden and forgotten too.

A bunch of what were once yellow roses, now wilted and bleached white by the fog, lay nestled at the base of the stone. Amez took a step forward, letting go of Widdershin's hand, and tenderly placed half of the gracideas beside the wilted roses, not wanting to disrupt anything, the ethereal atmosphere putting her on edge.

Widdershin watched her as she knelt down, closing her eyes as she clasped together under her chin as she sent her thoughts out to the deceased blue friend she had lost. He, too, felt a lot of sorrow at Glameow's passing; they had been good companions throughout the years, fellow Pokemon living in the same household, and that had formed a strong bond of friendship between them, especially as she also had a dislike for Dylan, and shared his feelings that Amez was in need of protection from the monster and his leashed wrath. Glameow's death had been a sudden cause of that wrath, nothing more than a kick of the leg. It was amazing and horrifying how one tiny action could do so much: Glameow was never going to come back; Johanna was never going to be the same; and Amez was never going to have the safety she once retained. _How long will it be before Amez is no longer with me? How much precious time do I have left with her?_

When Amez stood and moved away, Widdershin stepped forward and took her place, kneeling down in the same position, laying down a single gracidea along with the others as he let his thoughts reach out to the cat. _Thank-you Glameow. You're loyalty and love won't be in vain; I'll always be watching out for our Amez, and you're Johanna. I hope you rest in peace knowing that. _He bowed his head in respect, lingering there for a moment, and stood up, looking around for Amez.

She wasn't there.

In an instant, Widdershin was in battle mode; his sense were on red alert, his fur on end, his muscled tense as his stance went into combat form, his instincts screaming for him to find her while his conciseness panicked, however he was able to hear the sound of her breathing a few meters away to his left, which calmed him down considerably. He knew they were in no danger here, and got his body under control, waiting for his fur to flatten down again, not wanting her to see him in this state. When he did so, he made his way through the fog and saw her standing before a long cobbled tomb, overgrown with vines along the edges. Approaching her slowly as not to startle her, he made his way over to her side, looking at her inquiringly.

'It feels kind of nostalgic to be back here,' her voice was uneven, 'This is my father's grave.'

Widdershin grasped her in a hug, a sad expression on his face as she buried her face in his chest, although not taking her eyes off the grave. He looked down at the name on the tomb, which indeed was labeled with Nathan's name.

'Mom brought me here once when I was a child. She kept saying "this is where your daddy's buried" and crying, and I kept asking "what's a daddy?", but that just made her cry harder. I never had him in my life. It's kind of ironic that the only memory I have of him is nothing more than a dream sequence, when it's just that, a dream, nothing more than a false vision conjured up by the mind, yet it's one of my fondest memories,' Amez expressed musingly.

'I'm so sorry Amez,' Widdershin said, his heart feeling hollow as his internal instincts dimmed with the feelings of sadness at what his beloved had gone through. He was still holding the remaining gracideas, which he placed at the foot of the tomb.

'Mom said he died protecting us from Cyrus…' Amez drifted off, lost in her own thoughts again as she frowned, still leaning on Widdershin's chest.

'C'mon, let's go,' Widdershin said seriously, simply picking her up in his arms bridal style, both his consciousness and his instincts eager on getting the girl out.

-XxX-

It was twilight when the duo returned home. The sun was just about to finishing setting, leaving a blaze of orange along the horizon, which blended into the purple/blue haze of nighttime, the stars just beginning to sparkle through.

They had talked more on the journey back, the ride uplifting their moods again as they left their sad thoughts behind in the depths of the cemetery, and their conversation had ended up discussing Amez's upcoming birthday in three days, and the forthcoming party.

Widdershin stopped off at the house, Amez jumping off his back as she stretched. No lights were on in the house, meaning Johanna wasn't home yet, and she wouldn't be for a while.

'I'm going to see Mesprit. We need to sort out what's happening with this party!' Widdershin declared, a mock-angry look on his face.

Amez burst out laughing. 'Yeah, what's actually happening about that anyway? My actual birthdays in three days, is it going to happen then?'

'All very good questions, however I'm unable to answer them. That's it! I'm off to see Mesprit to do some _serious_ planning!' Widdershin pumped his fist in the air in a superhero pose, while Amez rolled her eyes, but still continued to giggle.

'Be back soon,' she caught him in a surprise hug.

Caught off guard, Widdershin answered 'Always,' clear surprise in his big blue eyes that she actually had to ask him to come back. As if he was going away.

Amez smiled up at him, which he returned shyly, before setting off back the way they had come alone, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Still smiling, Amez wondered over and sat on the bond bench, leaning back and sighing peacefully as she looked up at the stars, her mind in complete bliss.

She was snapped out of her idyllic state by the sound of footsteps behind her. 'Widdershin?' she asked hopefully, sitting up and turning round enthusiastically. Her smile faded when she saw the person standing with their arms crossed and a cold look on their face.

'Hello Amez,' said Dylan smoothly.

**A/N: I apologies for the lacking quality of this chapter. I've been having serious writer's block lately, and my sister encouraged me to take a different route with this story's plot, which I decided to do, and this is the result :/. On a brighter note, I've uploaded a pic of Amez! Please click the Deviantart link on my profile, which will take you to my Characters gallery. **

**Also, I've decided to choose a voice cast for the main characters, which I'll state when they next appear. Dylan will be voiced by Jason Griffith, while for Amez and Widdershin, I'll let you guys decide on what they sound like to you, as they're the main characters, and everyone has their own view of them :). **

**Rose**


	7. Reflections

Chapter 7 – Reflections

'Hey Dylan, what's up?' Amez asked awkwardly after a few moments of silence.

Dylan continued to stare at her coldly, 'Oh, not much really. Why, finally decided to take notice in me again, have you?' he replied icily.

Amez was taken aback by his statement. 'What are you talking about?' she asked in confusion, standing up.

'Well, I just feel a bit left out, is all. You completely dissed me the other day after dinner, when all I wanted was to say good-night, then you ignored me all of yesterday, only speaking to me in an accusing tone during the argument with your mother regarding Widdershin's obvious lack of control, then again you ignored me all of today. Yet Widdershin has barely left your company,' he moved a few steps towards her menacingly, 'Why is that? Is it that you don't trust me or something?' he thrust his face into hers as he leaned on the head of the bench.

'First of all, Dylan, you tried to_ kiss_ me, and I didn't like it, and all you did was laugh and take off, so of course I'd be a bit weary after,' Amez answered angrily, taking a step backwards out of his proximity and continuing before Dylan had a chance to respond. 'And second, the next day Widdershin and I were shopping for my birthday party supplies, so I was busy. Thirdly, I was right! It wasn't fair of mom to say Pokemon have no control when you yourself, _a Pokemon, _are the _Deity in charge of it_! And today again, we were busy! I wasn't purposefully ignoring you, my minds just been on other things this week,' she spat, realising her voice had gotten louder the further she went with her speech.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, 'Your minds too busy to make time for your best friend?'

'You're not my best friend, Dylan. Widdershin is,' Amez retorted instantly.

'Since when?'

'Since forever! And you know that! Did you forget? What's up with you today? You're acting so strangely,' Amez shook her head at him.

'So what does that make me then, a mere acquaintance?'

'What? No, you're a good friend! Just… seriously, what is up with you lately?' Amez stressed as she folded her arms in annoyance.

'When are you going to see that Widdershin is dangerous?! He can't control his strength! Look at what he did to Glameow! Do you want to be crushed to death the same way?' Dylan yelled at her, furious at her defiance.

'Widdershin didn't kill Glameow! He was with me the whole time! And I know him, he wouldn't hurt a fly! I don't know what happened to Glameow, but I defiantly know it wasn't Widdershin! I'd stake my life on it,' Amez fumed at the boy across from her, not believing in what he was implying.

'You'd actually be willing to die to prove your faith in that Infernape?' Dylan was shocked, and it showed clearly on his face.

'Yes. Always,' Amez declared proudly, 'Why do you have this sudden problem with Widdershin? What's he ever done to you to make you behave like this?'

Dylan ignored her question. 'What, so you wouldn't be willing to die to prove your faith in _me_?' he crossed his arms as he bowed his head in fury, his shaggy black highlighted hair covering his pale face.

'Maybe before, but...' Amez shook her head quickly, 'Of course I would! It's just, you've changed, Dylan. You've become…so much angrier,' Amez shook her head again, sadly. 'And truth be told, it's beginning to scare me.'

She watched him for a moment, her face a mixture of pity, concern, and fear, before stepping back further and manoeuvring around the bench, intending to return to the house, before Dylan grabbed her arm, forcefully stopping her and prompting her to look at him.

'Hey. I'm sorry I yelled at you, I'm just concerned for your safety. If you believe that Widdershin isn't dangerous, then I believe you,' he smiled down at her, his blood red eyes open and warm.

'Thank-you!' Amez responded indignantly, tugging her arm away, however Dylan didn't let go.

'What's the rush? Let's sit together,' he proceeded to drag her round the bench and sit her down, despite her feeble attempts at struggling.

Still holding her arm, he leaned back, stretching as he let out a tension releasing sigh, before throwing his arm casually around Amez's shoulders, her stiff posture unnoticed by him. Amez knew better than to try and fight him anymore, his strength way surpassed hers, and she knew if she tried to do anything she just be hurting herself physically. Letting out her own sigh, although hers of frustration, she slumped back in defeat. He was her friend. He had spent his whole life watching over her ever since she was born, she shouldn't be afraid of him. And yet, she was, somewhat.

'So what did you and Widdershin do today?' Dylan asked, smiling as he leaned back comfortably, his grip on Amez not loosening at all.

'We went to visit Glameow's grave,' she answered, still not ease in his presence, wondering what his reaction would be to the touchy subject.

But Dylan kept a calm gaze, merely nodding as he closed his eyes, obviously not listening. Amez sighed internally, propping her elbows on her knees as best she could in the awkward position, resting her face in her hands, letting her hair fall between them.

'So what else did you do?' Dylan spoke up a minute later, cutting through the heavy silence.

'That was it. We got up late, so yeah, it took us a while to get there, and even longer to get back, we'd only arrived back a few minutes before you showed up'.

Dylan opened his eyes at that and sat up, a slight scowl bracing his features. 'What do you mean "we" got up late? Is Widdershin still sleeping in your room?'

'Technically it's _our _room, so yeah, he is,' Amez crossed her arms and inched away, Dylan letting her, but his arm remained a vice-like grip, preventing her escape.

They were silent for a while. Amez was staring at the ground, her face closed and unreadable as she remained in her tight, upright, uncomfortable position, Dylan watching her. The wind had picked up slightly, bringing in with it lost leaves that hadn't yet been eaten by the decreasing temperatures, which danced around the pond, some blowing right in, leaving wide-spread circles in peaceful patterns in their wake.

'I'm sorry. About Glameow,' Dylan finally said, his voice softer and less angry than before.

'Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault,' she turned to face him, but he was looking down and away from her, his shaggy bangs blocking his face from view, '_or_ Widdershin's, before you start blaming him again,' she seethed quickly as he looked up again, his red eyes blank, but dark.

'It wasn't anyone's fault,' Amez continued as she folded her hands in her lap, pulling the sleeves of her cashmere sweater over her wrists, 'It was…her time to go, I guess. But she's in a better place now, with Dad.'

At the mention of her father, Dylan slumped forward even further, his arm leaving Amez's shoulders as he hid his face in his hands. Despite his skin already having a cool touch, Amez suddenly felt much colder without his arm around her. Shuffling closer to him, her previous fears of his forceful touch now completely forgotten at the feeling she had without it, and concern filling its place, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

'Hey, are-'

But Dylan shrugged her hand off, sitting up again slightly and inching away, leaving Amez's hand now outstretched grasping air, her face full of confusion and worry as he turned away from her. After a pause and a breathe, she dropped her hand slowly, looking down as it rested on the empty spot on the bench beside her where Dylan had been sitting just a few moments ago. She bit her lip as she pulled her hand back, unsure of what to say at her friend's sudden bipolar change of behaviour.

'Do you miss him?' Dylan spoke up, his face looking up but still turned completely away from her.

'Hm?' Amez answered softly, her mind having lost track of the conversation after Dylan's actions.

'Do you miss Nathan?'

'I…' Amez stopped, not really sure how to answer. 'Well, I never knew him; he passed away when I was a baby. I never had his presence in my life, I can't exactly miss something I never really had but, I guess…I guess I…I just, I don't know! I can't answer that question! I…' her voice broke off, prompting Dylan to turn around to find her with her hand under her chin and her other arm hugging herself, a pained expression on her face.

'I…all that I have of him is a dream, and that's not real. I can barely remember it, because dreams fade! When we were at the graveyard, I saw his tomb, and I had a memory of when I was young of mom crying when I asked her what a "daddy" was,' her eyes scrunched up as she covered her mouth with her hand in an attempted to hid her face.

Dylan shook his head sadly, his smooth mask finally broken as his red pool eyes cracked. Sliding back over to her instantly, but slowly, cautiously, he gingerly, as if afraid, put his arm over her shoulder again in an attempt at comforting her, and wasn't prepared for her reaction. Instead of pushing him off or shying away, Amez collapsed into his shoulder, burying her face into his hoodie, her whole body turned away from the world. Dylan blinked in surprise, but his look of sorrow remained clear, no sign of lust at the unexpected close contact.

'I never had the chance to know him, he was taken away before I could. He died protecting us from Cyrus and his machine, you know! You were there! Mom told me it was you who had killed him, but I knew it wasn't, and then I found out the real truth when he told me face-to-face,' Amez cried into his chest, yet no tears fell, only dry sobs erupted from her. 'Cyrus killed my father, and yet I don't hate him!' she finally looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent as she revealed her secret, 'Is that bad?!'

Dylan sighed, and shook his head. 'No, Amez, that's not bad at all,' he tried to explain gently.

'But, people always say "a life for a life", but I don't want more people dying! Especially for someone like that, who has no family to miss them or mourn them. Is it bad that I want a bad person to live? I tried to save him when he fell off the platform in the Torn World, but he did fall. He did so many terrible things, he killed my father, he took over your home, he broke up my home, he took my Mom's love away, he nearly killed you! Am I a bad person for trying to save him when he deserved to die? Is the fact that I couldn't let him fall when I had every reason too a sign of weakness?'

Amez let her head fall against Dylan's chest again, a single tear falling as she closed her eyes, her breathing light and sallow. Dylan softly put his own hand under her chin, gently drawing her face up towards him as he wiped her tear away with his thumb. 'No Amez. Valuing life is not a weakness. It takes great courage to be able to face someone who has done you wrong and forgive them. Life thrives on forgiveness, as without forgiveness, there can be no hope for redemption. I should know, I'm the Controller of Chaos and the Deity of Death. I'm the embodiment of both elements, I have the power of both strengths, I am a Deity, yet I don't have your power of forgiveness. Remember that story of me, about the swordsman who smote Pokemon? I took his life because he took the lives of Pokemon, even when he admitted to his sin and begged for forgiveness, I still took it, without giving him a chance to redeem himself. He pled that he had been blind to Pokemon being alive, but by taking his life, I was blind too.' He looked ashamed, and made a move of about to push himself away, but Amez reached up and placed her warm hand on his cool check, stopping him.

'You're not a bad person, Dylan, not in the least! That was your duty as a Deity, and a duty you didn't even deserve to have in the first place! And even so, you've done so many good things! Arceus wouldn't have given you your original duties if you had been bad!'

He brought his own hand up, placing it tenderly over her own. 'I'm so sorry Amez…for everything.'

'You have nothing to be sorry for-'

'Yes, I do. I…' he stared down into her wide, innocent eyes, gazing into them for a moment, before looking away, 'You've lost so much, yet you remain so strong. How?' he breathed.

Amez let out a harsh laugh, before replying, 'As I told you before, I never knew my dad, I've never had the presence of a father-figure in my life, so I can't miss him. And Glameow, even though she was my friend, she was never my Pokemon. It's my mom who's suffered the loss the most.'

'Johanna?'

'She's miserable, Dylan. And she has been for almost sixteen years. She lost her love! She hasn't gone out, or even looked at another man since. She really was in love with my dad. And now that she's lost Glameow…'

'But she still has you-'

'I think I just cause her more stress. I know why she's lashing out at Widdershin. She's heartbroken, and it's affecting her health. Sometimes, when she thinks I'm sleeping, I see her sitting down looking through old photo albums crying, and I think I just make it worse, because I look like him,' Amez sighed sadly, still leaning against Dylan's chest.

'She really loved him,' Dylan spoke out in realisation.

He could feel Amez nodding her head in response, 'But he's gone now, and he's never coming back.'

Dylan looked down at girl leaning against him, his eyes misting over as he did so, although she didn't see. He looked up at the sky, his hair ruffling in the breeze as Amez continued to sob softly against him.

They duo stayed like that until the sun had almost set, lighting up the darkening sky with orange and purple hues, no words exchanged between them, until Dylan whispered gently, as not to startle her, 'Amez, I have to go somewhere.'

'Huh?' she replied, snapping back into reality.

'I have to go,' he repeated, smiling softly, as he squeezed her arm. She groggily moved off him as he stood up.

'Where are you going?' she asked in confusion as she rubbed her eyes.

'Somewhere important. Don't worry, I'll be back in time for your birthday,' he smiled, and tenderly touched her check with the back of his hand; she gazed up at him, their eyes meeting for a moment before he removed his hand and took off at a run into the trees, leaving Amez alone on the bench just as the sun disappeared.

'It's in three days!' she called after him as she leaned across the backboard of the bench.

Her only reply was the wind rustling harshly and kicking up more leaves, as the darkness began to seep in from the woods Dylan had vanished into. Amez hugged her knees, as she looked down into the water, seeing only the shadowy murkiness that night-time brought about, the only time when the water didn't offer a reflection.

She nearly fell in when she felt a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts. She breathed an obvious sigh of relief, and somewhat slightly disappointed, when she realised it was just Widdershin.

'Hey, are…are you alright? Widdershin asked, a concerned and sad look on his face as his hand was left lingering in midair from where she had jumped away from him.

'Yeah, no I'm fine, sorry Widdershin, you just scared me,' Amez assured him, closing the distance between them as she sat up to give him a hug.

'Amez, you're freezing!' Widdershin exclaimed, as her ice cold skin came in contact with his warm fur as he hugged her back.

Amez blinked in surprise as she looked up at him, 'I am? But I feel fine.'

'No buts, you're coming inside before you catch a cold. I'll cook tonight, so go run yourself a bath or something,' he ushered her into the house in a no-nonsense tone, ignoring her protests that there was nothing wrong with her.

Knowing there was no changing the determined Infernape's mind, she gave up and did as she was told as he gently but firmly pushed her inside, chucking off her shoes and heading upstairs, grinning at his scrutinizing gaze before she disappeared through her bedroom door. While her smile was welcoming, Widdershin didn't miss the disturbed look that came over her features as she stepped through her doorway.

Frowning, he turned around to shut the front door, his own eyes lingering over the black dusk that had settled over the outside. With his enhanced Pokemon vision, he could see clearly, but even he knew that tonight's nightfall was more obscured than usual. His fur stood up on end and he let out an automatic growl when an unmistakeable scent passed his nose: Dylan. While the scent was faint, it was fresh, meaning Dylan had been here recently and had tried to cover it up, which explained why Widdershin hadn't detected it on Amez.

He looked up towards the girl's closed bedroom, the sounding of running water being heard from behind it, and he smiled, knowing she was safe at the present moment, before turning back to the front door again. With one last scan for any potential danger, but finding none, he shut the down and locked it, and entered the kitchen, his mind deep in thought as he absentmindedly began to prepare to cook rice.

_What are you up to, Dylan?_


	8. Moonlight Snacks

Chapter 8 – Moonlight Snacks

A little while later, Amez stepped out of the shower, her long raven hair dripping wet down her back, making her shiver as she rushed to grab her fluffy robe. Her mind was preoccupied with her evening routine, and so it wasn't until she was sitting in front of her vanity, dressed in long silk red pyjamas, combing through her hair that she thought back to her strange conversation with Dylan. _What was he sorry for? The kiss? Hm, not sure he's forgiven that easily, that could've been my first kiss! And he almost ruined it! …Maybe it'll be good to have a few days without him around, he still makes me feel really uncomfortable sometimes, it's not like I'm encouraging him! I wonder where he's going, though? It was the mention of my Dad that his attitude suddenly changed…must be some Pokémon Deity business. _She shrugged to herself, her reflection doing the same, until she came across a particularly nasty knot at the nape of her neck and began to wrestle with it.

There was a knock on the door, before Widdershin entered, carrying a tray laden with cutlery and two plates.

'Don't do that!' he cried in shock, placing the tray on her bed and zipping over to her, prying the hairbrush out of her hand and placing it out of her reach, 'You'll pull your hair out if you attack the knot like that. Here, let me,' he started to gently pry through her hair with the tips of his claws, his thick brows furrowed in concentration.

Amez watched his reflection in the mirror, an interested smile on her face as he continued his explanation, 'You should really wait until your hairs completely dry, or still wet before you attempt to groom it. It's when you leave it in this half state that knots form,' he looked up from his work, the knot successfully untangled as he reached forward to pick up the brush, catching her eye in the mirror as he did so, 'What?'

She burst out laughing, 'It's just funny that _you _know more about taking take of my hair than I do!'

'What do you mean _me_?' Widdershin froze, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

'You, a _guy_,' Amez clarified, giggling.

'Oh, haha,' Widdershin relaxed, 'Instinct, I guess. We Infernape take great pride in our appearance; our fighting spirit is determined by the size of our flames,' he began to brush through her tresses, using his claws to comb through anymore kinks.

'Do Infernape live in colonies? I thought you guys were quite rare in the wild?'

'Apparently so, and no, we don't live in colonies, we're to competitive, can you imagine a bunch of Infernapes all trying to compete for Alpha Male? We would never have a moment's peace!' he laughed.

'So, what? You live alone and spend all your free time making yourself look pretty, ready to go out and beat up a few fellow Alphas?' Amez smirked, raising an eyebrow.

'_Noo_, obviously we look after ourselves, but we take great care in grooming our mates,' Widdershin rolled his eyes. It wasn't until the words were out of his mouth and hanging in the air that he realised what he'd just said. 'And family! We also take care of family members, sometimes family clans stick together,' he added quickly, finishing the last few strokes hurriedly.

'All done,' he announced a moment later, stepping back to admire his handiwork. 'Oh, forget about dinner!' he exclaimed, rushing back over to the abandoned tray of food.

Amez broke out into a smile as she watched him, before turning her attention from his reflection to her own. Her eyes widened as she took herself in; her normally straight and lanky hair had dried into slight curls, nothing too drastic, but enough bounce to be noticeable compared to her usual style. She lifted her hand to run a finger through a wave. It was still warm from his touch.

'Thankyou thankyou thankyou!' she gasped as she flew over to him and grasped him in a tight hug, grinning up at him.

'It was no trouble,' Widdershin replied, thankful his fur hid his blush as he awkwardly hugged her back from his clamped position.

'I don't think my hairs ever looked this good before, I love it Widdershin!' she squealed excitedly, giving him another squeeze before bouncing around to the other side of the bed, leaving him slightly dazed. 'So what's for dinner?'

He took several seconds to recover, 'Dinner? Oh, rice balls, roasted vegetables, and pita bread. Sorry, I wanted something that I could cook fast.'

'No worries, we needed something healthy anyway,' Amez laughed, hopping onto the bed and helping herself to a rice ball, devouring it in several bites, not realising how hungry she was.

'That's why,' Widdershin chuckled, joining her on the bed as he began to spoon some vegetables into a piece of bread, as if he was making a sandwich.

After Amez had eaten enough to satisfy her initial hunger, she slowed down, ready to enjoy their little picnic. 'So, how is it you're able to eat human food, Widdershin? I've never bothered inquiring about it before.'

Widdershin swallowed his mouthful, 'I'm not sure actually. I think because I was bred in captivity and raised on a mixture of both Pokémon and human food, I've become accustomed to both. I'm glad I did though, human food tastes good!' he tossed a piece of carrot into the air, catching it in his mouth.

'Nice!' Amez nodded to show her impression at his trick, 'That makes sense. I suppose for Dylan he's in human form whenever he eats human food.'

'Yeah, that's probably right, but he is still a Pokémon,' Widdershin added, looking down as he wiped his hands on one of the napkins he brought along with the food. 'If you don't mind me asking, what did he want earlier? I picked up his scent when I arrived back, when you were sitting by the pond,' he questioned tentatively, not wanting her to think he was being nosey.

'Oh that. At first he was being all weird and moody, claiming I was ignoring him, but then he lightened up. Then he said he had to go somewhere, but he'll be back for the party.'

Widdershin was surprised; he hadn't heard Amez speak of Dylan in a derogatory tone before. 'Did he try and kiss you again?' he joked, the laugh covering his flaming curiosity.

'Oh I really chewed him out for that! I told I didn't like it, and it made me weary of him,' Amez answered, chewing her lip at the memory.

'Did he get the message?'

'I cruddy hope so!' she stated, folding her arms indignantly. 'It's not funny!' she cried, as Widdershin began to laugh.

'You're so funny, Amez,' he winked, ruffling her hair as he began to load up the tray, before lifting it off and checking for any stray crumbs as he got up.

'Maybe I should slap him if he ever does it again?' Amez wondered out loud from her perch at the edge of the bed.

On his way towards the door, Widdershin turned to face her, still holding the tray. 'Slap him? You?' he asked in disbelief, eyes twinkling. Inside, he was dancing with glee at the news, and wanted to draw it out longer.

'Why are you laughing at me?' Amez pouted, the look of hurt on her face enough to make him place the tray on the floor and run back over to take her in his arms.

'Oh honey, you're too nice to slap anyone,' he snickered, stroking her head as he tried to calm his laughter. When he didn't receive a response, he looked down to find her staring at him with wide doll-like eyes.

'You called me honey,' she said, blinking as a stray strand of hair got caught in her eye.

'Because you're as sweet as honey,' he grinned, gently tucking the strand of hair behind her ear, 'Too sweet to slap anyone,' he repeated softly.

'Well you're wrong! I slapped Cole once, when he insulted my Dad,' she huffed, poking him in the chest between his gold chest plates before sliding out of his embrace and turning away, arms crossed.

'I remember you telling me that when we first met. So you did, my mistake,' he scooted over next to her, and gently turned to her face towards him, 'Sorry?'

She narrowed her eyes at him, making him laugh again, which in turn broke her mask and made her smile in defeat. 'Fine, you're forgiven,' she finally returned his hug, before tapping him on the nose. 'Only because its bedtime,' she grinned, crawling out of his arms and hurrying back into her bathroom to brush her teeth.

When she returned, she found her bedspread turned down and pillows fluffed, all ready for her. Switching off the lights, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the new darkness before climbing into bed and snuggling under the comforter.

'Should I close the window?' came Widdershin's voice from the corner of his stuffed armchair.

'No, I like it open, you know the moonlight helps me sleep,' she replied, 'And I'm wearing long pajamas tonight.'

'I noticed that, much more appropriate for this cool weather. Though I don't know how you could find it so cold, you're like a little Clefairy with your strange moonlight claims. Makes me think you should be dancing around some cave in Mt. Coronet,' Widdershin sniggered, his voice resonating through the dimness.

'That's so funny because it's true,' Amez giggled. 'It's kind of odd how it's so cold though, it's supposed to be Summer.'

'Maybe Autumn's coming early this year?'

'Can your Pokémon instincts determine that?'

'Only through drops and rises in temperature, though us fire-types don't notice as much as other species. Some Pokémon are much more in tune with the seasons than we are, especially the wild Pokémon that migrate or Pokémon that are constantly travelling with a Trainer.'

There was silence for a few moments.

'Hey, Widdershin?' Amez called out timidly.

'Yes, Amez?' he responded curiously.

'Do you ever wish you could be out travelling with a trainer? You don't have to stay here, you know.'

'Where's this coming from?'

'It's just, you've spent your whole life inside. You're a Starter Type, you should've been chosen by a budding young Trainer and be out travelling around Sinnoh battling, not stuck here in Twinleaf with me,' Amez described sadly, turning over onto her side, away from his corner.

'Amez, I chose to go with you, don't you remember? I said I didn't _want_ to be taken by a Trainer, and I still stick with that decision. I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me. Sorry,' he stated, deadpan.

'You don't sound very sorry,' Amez commented, smiling to herself as she turned to lay on her back.

'Because I'm not. This is my home now too, and I'm not going anywhere.'

'Promise?'

'Promise. Are you sleepy yet?'

'A bit…'

'Then it's time for sleep. Goodnight Amez,' Widdershin smiled in the direction of her bed, before closing his eyes, filled with a lighthearted feeling of happiness and buoyancy.

He was slowly snapped out of his feeling of bliss by a subtle weight on his leg, which turned out be Amez perched on his knee, an innocent look on her face, prompting Widdershin to raise an eyebrow in questioning.

'It's cold over there,' she admitted cheekily, ringing her hands together.

Blinking smugly, Widdershin opened his mouth to retort, but Amez cut him off, 'And no, I won't close the window,' she inched her way into his lap.

'Um, hey!' Widdershin exclaimed in amusement, nonetheless he opened his arms to accommodate her.

'Oh shush, we're a family clan, aren't we?' now it was her turn to look smug. 'Goodnight Widdershin, sweet dreams,' she offered while stifling a yawn, swinging her legs around so that they were draped over the arm of the chair and placing her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

Rolling his eyes at her rascally actions, Widdershin shook his head with an entertained grin as he lent back, his arm resting behind Amez's back to offer support. Feeling completely at ease for the first time in a while, he let his face melt into a goofy smile as he basked in the moment of delight, thinking back over what she had revealed over their picnic dinner.

_And sweet dreams to you, my little Clefairy._

-XxX-

'What is _this_?!'

Johanna's shrill voice broke through the two friend's reverie of sleep, jolting Widdershin awake and making him freeze in shock horror, while Amez jumped in fright at the sudden noise, accidentally rolling from Widdershin's lap onto the floor.

'Oh my poor baby!' Johanna shrieked, scooping a slightly disorientated Amez into her arms as she knelt down beside her.

'Did he hurt you?' she asked patronizingly, as Amez struggled to be let go.

'Mom, get off! _You're_ the one hurting me!'

Johanna gasped, her grip going limp as she pulled her arms away, 'My little baby girl, you were sleeping with him! You know Widdershin is dangerous! He's a Pokémon!'

'Mom, you're overreacting. Yes, he's a Pokémon, just like Glameow, and Giratina,' Amez glared at her, making sure her mother took notice of that fact that she had used Dylan's true name, 'Technically all Pokémon are dangerous, so you can't use that as an excuse,' she sat up, massaging the shoulder that she fell on, 'And I'm not a baby, I'll be a legal adult in two days.'

'You'll always be my little girl no matter how old you are,' Johanna stated with authority, standing up, 'And I forbid you from seeing that monster ever again!' she waved her finger at him.

Sighing in frustration, Amez shuffled over and knelt beside Widdershin's armchair, the Infernape in question supporting an unsure gaze as he held his frozen pose. She placed her hand on his arm, smiling at him reassuringly before turning to address Johanna, 'Mom, Widdershin's _family_.'

'But_ I'm_ your family too! I'm your mother! You spend all your time with him, or studying, or with your other friends, that I never see you anymore!' Johanna burst into tears, 'My little baby's all grown up, you're going to leave soon, and I'll be all alone again!'

'Is that what this is about?' Amez spoke out in understanding.

'Your father, Glameow, you, all gone! You don't need me to take care of you anymore! Because you spend all your time with _him_!' her voice seethed on the last word, as she looked up with dark eyes, before breaking down into tears again, 'He's taking you away from me!'

'Mom?,' Amez whispered as she slowly neared the weeping woman, 'Do you think, maybe…maybe you should see someone?' she offered softly, patting her shoulder.

'What?' Johanna looked up at her in confusion.

Amez closed her eyes as she took in a deep breathe, 'I think you should see someone who can help you, Mom. Like a therapist. I don't think you ever got the full closure from Dad's-'

'How dare you!' Johanna stared in shock and anger at her daughter, as Amez tried to explain, 'Mom, you've been through several emotional traumas, I just think-'

'I come in here looking for some compassion from my only child, and this is what you give me? Tell me I'm crazy and need to see a psychiatrist?' her facial expression was one of utter horror and hurt.

'I didn't say you were crazy! I just said-'

'If your father had been here-'

'MOM!' Amez yelled, grabbing Johanna's flailing hands to get her attention, 'You need help. You haven't had time to grieve for Glameow, it might be good for you to talk to a professional? As much as I wish I could, I can't help you,' Amez regarded her sorrowfully.

Johanna waited, but Amez offered no explanation to her dutiful words, only a look of sadness and pity, causing the blue haired woman to sob dolefully as more tears fell. Wrenching herself out of the younger girl's hands, she ran out of the room, the sound of a door slam echoing down the hallway, implying that Johanna had retired to her own bedroom.

Amez covered her face with her hands as she scrunched her eyes, releasing a deep intake of breath, before walking to her chest of draws, pulling out a pair of black jeans and white pullover hoodie, then heading to her bathroom. Widdershin watched, unmoving, unsure what she was up to. Literally thirty seconds later, she re-appeared, dressed in her day attire along with a pair of brown Ugg boots, making her forward to stand before her open window.

'I need to get out of this house. Please?' she turned to him, offering her hand.

'Where would you like to go?' he questioned her gently, standing up next to her.

'Anywhere, as long as it's not here,' she said in a strained and pleading voice.

'Alright,' Widdershin complied, offering his back to her, before he jumped onto the window sill and leapt, sailing through the air.

Landing expertly next to the pond, the Infernape took off, away from the house and into the neighboring canopy of trees.

**A/N: A surprise update! I've been off school recovering from a knee operation, and the quiet house and my comfy bed were just what I needed to get the plot bunnies going xD Sorry this one isn't that great, it was a sort of filler to help me get the story moving again.**

**I can't make any promises, but I will try and update when I can in between school classes, studying and activities; I now have a clear idea for this story's plot that I can't wait to develop (while on summer vacation I had a colossal brainstorm, do other writers ever get that? You're so relaxed that ideas suddenly just come to you? :D I remember Sheldon talking about it on the Big Bang Theory lol :P). **

**Rose**


End file.
